Rationale
by Willow Fireheart
Summary: Mark Carter had always considered himself to be a logical man, that's why he knew he was going crazy. Because it wasn't logical that he had been kidnapped in night by a woman with a deep voice and a god complex.


**Rationale **

Spoilers- The Tok'ra pt 1 +2, Seth, The Curse, and few hints for S7.  
Disclaimer- Characters don't belong to me; I merely sneak in and borrow them when I can.  
Notes- one of those things that ran around in my head and then set up camp until I finally evicted it onto paper. I think I should take a second to explain my representation of Mark. He still is not the biggest fan of the military but because he and Jacob have reconciled he's notgoing to antagonise his family too much.  
Note2- I totally ripped a line off from Firefly. Kudos to those who pick it.  
xxx

Mark Carter had always considered himself to be a logical man.

By the time he was five he knew that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny were the same person- his mother or father. He never believed in fairies, monsters or even little green men, unlike his little sister whose fascination with Roswell was an endless source of amusement for Mark. He never indulged in ridiculous fantasy. He was an accountant, for peat's sake!

That's why he knew he must have been going insane. Because there was no way a sane person could believe this. There was no logical explanation for why he was sitting in a small room dominated by gold, the walls covered in hieroglyphs. There was no way that he was tied up in this small room, his hands and feet bound together. There was no way that he had been woken by a bright light and the crash of his front door being broken down. That several muscular men with strange tattoos on their foreheads had charged through his house, scaring his children and his wife before knocking him out. No way that a woman with a deep booming voice and eyes that flashed had questioned him about his sister, his sister- a theoretical astrophysicist. No way that the woman had become frustrated when he stuttered and stammered, and ordered him to be tortured. No way that the men that entered the room with sticks. Sticks that made him feel like he was touching a 1000-watt electric fence. That made his eyes and mouth feel as if they were burning as the energy spilled out of them.

It just didn't make any sense.

It just didn't.

Mark jerked his head up sharply as a 'whoosh' noise indicated that the door was opening. Two of those strange tattooed men entered the room, stepping aside to reveal the deep-voiced woman.

The woman titled her head back and stared down at him in contempt. "Well, human, have you come to your senses? Tell me what I want to know. How do I penetrate your Chappai? What of your defences? What are the symbols to your 'alpha site'?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

The woman swept forward, her curly blonde hair shimmering in the light. "Do not lie to me! Are Major Samantha Carter and the Tok'ra Jacob Carter not your relations?"

"Y-yes." Tok'ra? What was that? Some code name, maybe? The military had dragged his father back in after that experimental treatment that sent his cancer into remission.

"They would not leave you unprotected so! My host was of the Tauri. Do not think me ignorant. I am your god and you will obey me."

God? She was crazy… Or he was.

"G-god?"

"Osiris, Lord of the dead. The first pharaoh. Your God." The woman ran her fingers over the gold device that covered her hand and wrist. A smile spread across her lips, making her look very attractive. "I can make this easy and very pleasurable," the smile fell from her face. "Or I can make it hurt. It is your choice. Tell me what you know!"

A tear fell from the corner of his eye. "I don't know anything. Sammie does deep space telemetry. Dad's a general; he's been flying a desk for years."

"Lies!" She stretched out a hand. The golden device had a stone that rested in her palm.

Suddenly a stream of red-orange light flowed out of the stone and struck him in the centre of the forehead. A scream was ripped from his throat. The pain wasn't as bad as before, but it was different. This was worse somehow. She was invading his mind! It seemed impossible but he could feel it. She was trying to make him comply. To answer her questions.

"I don't know!" Mark screamed, spittle flying out of his mouth.

Mark started to sob. He could feel himself dying. "I have children."

The woman laughed. "So? They are of no use to me… yet." She sobered and tapped her cheek with a gold tipped nail. "Perhaps you are telling the truth. Perhaps they haven't told you. Daniel was most secretive with matters concerning the stargate."

One of the chain mailed men stepped forward. "My lord, the ship's defences, they have been breached."

The woman lowered her hand, leaving Mark to crumble into a heap on the floor. "SG-1," she hissed. "Let them come. I have waited to meet them once again."

The man wavered. "My Lord?"

"You question your God?"

The man shuddered. "No, my Lord. We will let the Tauri come."

"Good, be prepared. They will come for the brother." The woman knelt down and ran a hand over Mark's damp cheek. "I had a brother once. He dismembered my host and trapped me in a sarcophagus until my Queen released me. He is dead now."

"Touching story. Those Goa'uld family tales always bring a tear to the eye."

The woman spun around, her eyes flashing gold. "Jaffa, kree!"

Mark looked up as a tall, lean man casually sauntered into the room.

"Oh, I wouldn't bother calling those guys. They decided to knock off early."

A tall dark skinned man with a tattoo similar to those who tortured him stepped out from behind the BDU clad man. Another man with brown hair and glasses joined him, his gun held tightly. Then two familiar figures entered the room.

Mark groaned. "No. Sammie. Dad. Run. Run."

"Oh, god. Mark." Sam took a step forward, only to be stopped when Jacob put a hand out.

The woman smirked at Sam and her friends. "Major Carter, your brother was most helpful."

"He didn't tell you anything."

"Can you be so sure?"

Sam and Jacob looked at Mark, still collapsed on the floor.

"He didn't tell you squat, Osiris," Jacob said firmly.

Osiris smirked. "Jacob Carter, I was most surprised. It would appear that you have been keeping secrets. Mark doesn't seem to know about your symbiote."

"Dad?"

It was then that all hell broke loose.

xxxxx

Mark knew he had to be alive. He hurt far too much to be dead.

"Mark?" Sam's voice was soft, so much like their mother's.

"Sammie?" He managed to crack one eye open.

Sam smiled softly at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, I'm alive, so can't complain. Louise? The kids?"

"They're fine. Louise called me. Kids can't wait to have their dad back."

"Dad." Mark struggled to sit upright. "Dad. Where's Dad? He was hurt." Mark raised a hand to his head. "I remember he was hurt, and his voice…"

Sam laid a comforting hand on Mark's shoulder. "Dad's fine."

"He is?"

"He is."

Mark settled back into the bed. For the first time he took notice of where he was. He was in an infirmary. "Sam?"

"We brought you back to the base."

"Oh." He hated military bases. Hated them with a passion. He grew up on them and that was bad enough.

"You'll get the best care here. The CMO is my best friend."

"That good huh?"

"She's the best."

"What happened to that woman?" Just thinking about her made his head throb.

Sam looked down. "She got away."

Mark thumped his head against the pillow. "Those men were intense. It wasn't your fault."

Sam nodded slowly.

"So that guy, the one with gray hair, that's Jack O'Neill isn't it?"

Sam narrowed her eyes. "How did you know that?"

"Dad talks about him. You too."

"He's a good person, Mark. Just like Daniel and Murray. You'd like them if you got to know them."

"I'm sure," Mark drawled. "So this is why you keep saying no to meeting Pete?"

Sam crossed her arms. "Mark!" She shook her head. "We've gotten off track. General Hammond and I-"

"George Hammond? Dad's old friend? Uncle George?"

Sam was taken back. It had been a long time since she thought of General Hammond in those terms. "Um, yeah. He's in command here. He was talking to the President and they agreed-"

"The President?"

"Yes, Mark, the President. And he kindly agreed to give you clearance. General Hammond wanted me to explain what happened. You were kidnapped because of me and Dad."

"I figured that out when that crazy woman started asking me questions about you."

"Mark!" She took a deep breath. "Truth is, we're involved in something big, Mark."

Mark stared at his sister for a moment. She was completely and utterly serious.

"Sam?"

"In 1928 Dr Langford found something at Giza…"

xxx

end.


End file.
